Two years ago, we had a surreal experience.

Our son Luke entered the country of his citizenship for the first time.

As we groggily approached airport immigration and officially stepped onto US soil, there was a weight to the moment not fully carried by the thick, black line painted across commercial, tile floor.

Because at that moment we realized that for six months—ever since Luke’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad had been issued by the US embassy in Nairobi—Luke had been a citizen of a country he’d never been to. Suddenly we had a new and deeper understanding of this mystery: we are citizens of a Kingdom—with all the rights and privileges therein—which we’ve heard about, caught glimpses of, but have yet to fully visit.

And as of this week our second son Simon is citizen of a nation he’s never seen—though after admittedly spending considerably more time in citizenship-limbo than his older brother.

Luke and Simon (we may have gotten marginally better at taking passport photos the second time around…)

We are particularly grateful that the US has acknowledged baby Simon as legitimate spawn-of-us as our family will be visiting the US in a few short weeks! We will be in Kentucky in June and July and are looking forward to catching up with friends and family.*

As we prepare to leave Tenwek for a couple months, I want to thank you for your support of our family in prayer, encouragement, and for the specific needs you have met.

Late last year we shared our Christmas Wish-List and were overwhelmed by the giving of family, friends, and strangers which provided for:

• 20 infant incubators
• 20 vital-sign monitors for these NICU incubators
• formula and diapers for 2 babies whose moms did not survive childbirth
• 3 doses of surfactant
• a cardiac ultrasound probe

If we have a chance to visit with you while in the US, ask us about Joy, a sweet baby girl born at 25 weeks gestation who went home last month fat, happy, nursing, and breathing easily. She’s the youngest preemie the team has seen survive since we’ve been here and is a testament to generous strangers, to the team’s diligence and attentiveness, and to a gracious God.

*We would love to meet with you while in the US! Feel free to email us now so we can arrange a time to get together

**There are ongoing needs for the kids Clark helps take care of here at Tenwek Hospital, visit our Christmas Wish-List to see specific needs

***To join with us in financial support, visit www.wgm.org/sleeth